Taken
by wolfgangwalker12
Summary: Pt II of This Is My Family. An old demon comes back to tear Tigress and Po apart, and Tigress is kidnapped on her own wedding day. Po must now set out alone to find her and bring her back home. But, will Po be able to save his wife and himself as well? Along the way, Po comes to terms with the fact that he must make the ultimate sacrifice to protect his love. Rated T for language.
1. Wedding Crashers

**Well, here it is. The first chapter of the sequel to This Is My Family. (If you haven't read the first one already, I would suggest reading it or else a lot of the story wont make sense, but it's not a must) I hope you all like it! As always, please take a few moments to review the story. I'll reply to all reviews. **

**Also, language and suggestive themes may be used later on in the story. That is why it's rated T.**

**I don't own Kung Fu Panda or any of it's characters. I only own the plot. Thank you and enjoy!**

**-wolfgangwalker12**

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**This Is My Family Part II: Taken**

_"Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that."_

_-Martin Luther King Jr._

**Chapter 1: Wedding Crashers**

It was a grey, polar morning at Chorh-Gom prison. The guards were already jittery. They complained about the frigid mountain air all the time, but Xia didn't mind the cold. She _embraced _it. The cold had been her oldest friend. She loved it, but the guards however, didn't.

"Hey, you know that Dragon Warrior you tried to kill a while back?" a guard barked at her as he walked by her cell.

"Yes, yes the fat panda. What about him?" She said as she glared at him.

"He's getting married! Yep, just got some news that he's set to marry _the_ Master Tigress in a few months. It's supposed to be a pretty big deal."

"What? That bitch is getting married to _him_? Oh, he isn't getting married to her! Not if I can help it" she whispered to herself. She laughed and grinned an evil grin, and then set to work on her master escape plan.

She then took the homemade dagger from under her bed that she had fashioned out of a chip off the stone wall and screamed,

"Help! Help, someone's attacking me! Help me!"

A guard quickly rushed over to her cell and unlocked the door.

"What's going on here? Are you hurt?" He said as he peered in the dank cell.

The answer came along with a small blade being trust from the dark shadows into his heart.

"I'm not hurt, but I think you are!" Xia cackled as she ran from the room, taking the dagger with her along with the guard's keys. Ever since Tai Lungs defeat, Chorh-Gom Prison had been renovated to accommodate many people, making it one of the most dangerous places in China.

Xia silently swept around the prison, unlocking the doors to all of the prisoners cells. One by one, every prisoner was set free and were now going around mercilessly beating down upon the guards. The riot quickly gained the upper hand, overwhelming the already cold and battered guards. Soon, all of the prison staff were bleeding out on the cold, stone floor. Xia now stood above her new army, smirking at the work that they had accomplished. In all, there were about 100 of the most dangerous bandits, smugglers, and assassins in all of China before her.

"Hello everyone, my name is Xia! You will bow to me, as I will be your new master!" She said; her eyes full of pure bloodlust.

"Why should we listen to you lady?" One of the prisoners asked. He was a large rhino, with a scar across his left eye.

"Because," She said, he anger could clearly be heard in her words as she gritted her teeth. "I set you free! Do this one task for me, and you will all be free to do as you want! Now does anyone have a problem with that?" She said as she held up the dagger, a maniacal gleam shone in her eye, tempting anyone to challenge her. None did.

"Good! We are going to crash a wedding everyone!" She said as she clapped her hands together. "I have some unfinished business to settle…"

_Two months later, Valley Of Peace_

Tigress woke up early that morning. It was an early start, even for her. She had gotten up so early because today was the most important day of her life. She sat up in her bed and took in the fresh air, then let out a nervous sigh. She had a lot to be nervous about. Today was the day the famous Master Tigress and the Dragon Warrior were to become married. Thousands of people from all over China were pouring in to the valley to watch the momentous occasion.

Just then, Viper burst into her room.

"Tigress, we can't find Po!"

"What?" She asked. This was their wedding day! How could he not be around? "We have to find him." She said sternly as she got up from her bed and started to the door.

"No, no, no." Viper said as she merged in between Tigress and the door. "You and me are staying here to get you ready. The guys will find him"

"Okay" She said. Her heart was now pounding. She had never been as edgy in all her life as she was now. Things were already going wrong on her wedding day, and she had only been up for a few minutes. Po's absence worried her immensely. Her paws were shaking as she picked up her dress. It was a beautiful, white dress with a red silk woven pattern on the back. She then smiled, the worry slowly receding from her heart as she thought about the future.

_Today she would finally have a family of her own._

She had always longed for a family, but had never really had one. Her parents abandoned her, the orphanage had feared her, and Shifu had never given her the love she had craved as a cub. Now she had someone who loved her just as much as she loved him. The Dragon Warrior.

Po had brought so many emotions back to her that she had nearly forgotten. Her smile now made more frequent appearances and her laughs now echoed off the walls of the palace on a regular basis. She was even starting to crack a few jokes from time to time. The five had actually gotten quite concerned for her, as they thought she might be going crazy. But her newfound happiness could only be blamed on Po.

Po had done so much for her. He cared for her, and gave her all of his love and attention. He had even taken a knife for her back when Xia had come to the palace. She shuddered at the thought of her own sister almost taking the life of Po in a psychotic rampage. She quickly shifted her mind away from the morbid memory, as today was reserved to be a day of happiness and joy.

Shifu was the next one to enter the room; he was dressed in a black robe and a grin as he stepped in. He took one look at his daughter, and was instantly filled with pride. He could never really tell her how proud he was of her. Especially now, seeing as his daughter had blossomed into a beautiful woman, and was now creating her own family that she could be happy in.

"Tigress, I'm- I'm so happy for you." He said, trying to find the words to convey his pride for her.

"Thank you master- I mean, father." She said, beaming. "Hey, have you seen Po anywhere? I'm afraid that he won't be ready in time."

"Now, now Tigress. Po is very reliable. He'll be ready. I think he mentioned something about going to the gardens for a quick walk.

Tigress let out a sigh of relief. She had thought in the back of her mind that maybe he had been having second thoughts for some reason.

"Okay, well you're ready for your big day!" Viper said as she finished her work on Tigress. Her fur was groomed to perfection, her nails had been painted, and she had put on some perfume, but other than that she didn't really need anything else to look amazing for her big day.

"How do I look?"

"Stunning. You look beautiful." A black and white figure said as he walked up behind Tigress and wrapped his hands around her waist. He was already dressed in a slick, black suit with black khakis with a royal blue stripe down the sides.

"Oh Po, thank you. But where were you? I was so worried that you weren't going to be ready in time… or that you were thinking about calling it off." She said with a frown

"I was just taking a walk, but of course I'm ready kitten. I would never do anything like that to you. And why would I ever want to call the wedding off? I love you so much Ti and I can hardly wait to get married." He said as he buttoned up the back of her dress. "Oh ya and by the way, I got you this." He said as he pulled out a tiger lily from his pocket and put it in her hair. "I picked it fresh from the gardens."

"Po, it's wonderful. Thank you..." She said as she turned around and embraced him tightly, tears falling freely from her face now. "I wouldn't want to spend the rest of my life with anyone else." She whispered.

"I wouldn't either Ti." Po whispered back. Viper was still in the room, and quickly broke off the tender moment.

"Hey come on Po, you're not supposed to see the bride before the wedding! It's bad luck you know!"

_If only Viper knew how right she was._

"Ya, ya, I'm going. See you there kitten. I love you." he said as he gave Tigress a quick peck on the cheek and left the room.

"I love you to Po." She said as she smiled at her reflection in the mirror. For once, she felt good about herself. Just the way Po had complimented her had made her feel like the prettiest girl in the world.

_An hour and a half later…_

The palace arena was packed with people, all who had come to see this once-in-a-lifetime occurrence. It was rare that any two kung fu masters ever got married, but it was even a rarer occasion when the Dragon Warrior got married.

Usually, the Dragon Warrior would have to give up their title if they tied the knot because their spouse would be in too much danger because everyone would want to try and kill the Dragon Warriors wife. But, seeing as the bride was Tigress, who was clearly capable of defending herself, Po would be able to keep his title.

Po was at the altar already, sweating bullets. He saw the mass of people watching him; a slew of eyes that were all fixed on him. His nervousness was getting to him, and he was worried that he would somehow make an embarrassment of himself like he always did.

_Come on Po, don't screw this up. _He thought to himself.

The crowd were all cheering at the top of their lungs now. They certainly weren't helping Po calm his nerves, as the noise only filled him with more panic and stress.

But all of that panic dissipated in a matter of seconds, as the two large wooden doors at the opposite end of the grounds opened, revealing a beautiful tiger along with a small red panda beside her. Her silky fur rippled in the small breeze as she began her walk to the altar. Her beautiful white dress shimmered in the summer sun as she gracefully made her way to Po. Tigress was beaming like she never had before, and she was on the verge of tears. Everyone's jaw dropped at the sight of the beautiful feline before them. She still had the lily in her hair that Po had given her, and it seemed to add a pursuance of charm to her already striking appearance. Tigress and Shifu finally made it up to the altar, and as Shifu came up with his daughter he cast a quick glare at Po, making sure that the panda got his wordless threat.

_Don't break my daughter's heart, or I'll break you._

Po nodded at Shifu, accepting the terms of marrying his one and only child. Tigress turned and faced Po now as she stepped up to the altar, the tears now flowing freely like untamed rivers down her cheeks. She was smiling, showing every one of her brilliant, white razor-sharp teeth. Po took both of her hands in his as an elderly goat conducted the ceremony.

Po tuned out of the goats speech about life, and happiness. He already knew what life and happiness were. He was too busy looking into Tigress' fiery irises .

"And Po, do you take Tigress to be your wife?" The goat asked, snapping Po out of his daze as soon as those words were uttered.

"I do" He said dryly, yet confidently as he retrained his gaze on his soon-to-be wife. The goat then proceeded to ask Tigress the same question.

"And Tigress, do you take Po to be your husband?"

She sniffed, and smiled.

"I do."

"Then I now pronounce you husband and wife. Dragon Warrior, you may kiss your bride."

Po slowly leaned in, and connected lips with his new wife. Tigress produced a small, gentle purr as she embraced her panda, forgetting about the multitudes of people around her and just enjoying this special moment.

The crowd erupted in applause. Confetti was thrown from the stands and fireworks were set off. After the kiss, Tigress smiled but then quickly jumped back into Po's arms and kissed him again, her purring was now almost as loud as the crowd's screams. Everything was going great, until…

_KABOOM!_

A loud roar came from the front gates, followed by the gates to the arena being flung wide open. And what came rushing through the gates were all of the foes that the Furious Five had locked up in prison over the years. Shifu then turned and shouted at Po,

"Dragon Warrior, they're after the both of you! Run panda, we'll try and hold them off!"

Po quickly grabbed Tigress' paw, and started running back up the stairs towards the palace. They made it all the way up to the hall of warriors, and hid behind one of the displays.

"Po, what are we going to do!" Tigress whispered. "They have us cornered!"

"I don't know kitten, but I promise I'll protect you." Po said.

Soon, all of the bandits were rushing into the hall. One screamed,

"Find them! They must be in here somewhere."

"Po, I'm scared."

"Shhh, everything's gonna be okay."

"Hey Po?"

"What?"

"I love you."

"I love you too." Po said as he held onto his wife tightly.

Just then, a wolf came around the corner and spotted them instantly.

"I found 'em!" He said as he charged the two. Po and Tigress both rushed the wolf, easily taking him down. But soon, many more bandits rushed them, and Po and Tigress couldn't fend them off any longer. Po ran over to Tigress, and grabbed on to her and held on to her as tightly as he could. Now, the bulk of the army were on top of them. They ripped Tigress from Po's arms.

"Po!" She screamed as she kicked and punched at the bandits, but they were still able to restrain her.

"Tigress!" Po shouted back. He was also trying to break free from the mob that was blitzing him, but then he felt something hard clash with his head, and his vision went black…

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Well, there it is. I hope you all liked it! Updating dates and info on this story will be posted on my profile. Be sure to leave a quick review please! Thanks!

-ww12


	2. Suicide Mission

Hey, well here's another chapter! As always, I hope you really enjoy the chapter and the story so far! It took me a few days to write, but I have it posted almost exactly when I said I would post! Yay for me and getting more accurate with posting! Again, thanks for reading and please review the story, as I crave feedback!

thank you!

-wolfgangwalker12

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Taken

Chapter 2: Suicide Mission

Po woke up with a loud groan.

"Hey kitten, I just had the strangest dream. We were-" But he stopped mid-sentence as soon as he saw where he was. He was lying flat on his back in the Hall of Warriors, and there was debris scattered all around him. Suddenly, images seeped back into his mind like a poison as he recounted the events that had taken place. Suddenly, a feeling of dread washed over him, leaving Po soaked in fear and anxiety. He got up immediately and ran out of the hall, yelling,

"Tigress! Tigress where are you!"

He ran back down to the arena. The altar was now ablaze and the place was completely abandoned. All except for Shifu and the rest of the five, who were all tied up with ropes and squirming about on the ground like wriggling worms. Tigress was nowhere to be found among them. Po rushed over to Shifu, who had a cut across his left cheek and had a black eye.

"Master Shifu! What happened? Where's Tigress?" He pressed as he quickly untied Shifu.

"Po…" Shifu said, "They took her. She's gone Po." The red panda sighed.

"No, no they couldn't have. Where is she?"

"Po!" He said as he raised his voice. "They took her. It was Xia, she led the attack…" He trailed off, trying to comprehend the fact that his beloved daughter had been stolen.

"Now Po, untie the rest of the five and we'll get this settled." He said.

Po spent the next half hour going around to the rest of the five and untying them. Poor Viper, the bandits tied _her _in a knot, which Po thought had to have hurt. After they had all been untied, they headed back up to the palace to assess the situation.

"I don't understand!" Monkey exclaimed as he looked around the hall. "They didn't steal any of the relics, they spared all of our lives, and they didn't burn down anything except for the altar. Why would they come here and not do any damage?"

"They did do damage!" Po snapped at Monkey, "They took my wife, your friend, and Shifu's daughter. You don't consider that damage?"

"I didn't mean that Po. I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too. It's just… been an eventful day for me."

Shifu carefully inspected the odds and ends that were scattered about the hall, carefully piecing together what had happened.

"They were clearly after Tigress alone, and if Xia was leading the attack, she would have wanted to make a big deal about capturing your wife Po, so she did it at your own wedding. We all know Xia was jealous of you and Tigress from the start, so she must have taken her as a way of getting to you." Shifu said sadly, as he in fact blamed himself for what had happened here.

_If I had only ordered more security at Chorh-Gom, Xia might have never been able to break out. _Shifu thought.

"Hey guys!" Crane shouted from across the room, "I think you should all have a look at this! It's a note, from Xia." He said as he flew over to where the rest of the group was. He then showed then a small scroll, written on it was a hostile and menacing note.

_Dear Furious FOUR plus panda,_

_As you know now, I have taken something precious of yours. I am holding her deep within the Wu Dan Mountains at the Mangsau Palace. Your Dragon Warrior shall trek to the palace ALONE. If he is accompanied by anyone else, I will kill the kitty instantly. I shall negotiate her life once he arrives. _

_Love,_

_Xia_

"What!" Shifu said, astonished. "The Mangsau Palace is impossible to get to! There's no way Po could make it there let alone any of us for that matter. What are we going to do?"

"Shifu, I can make it. I must go. I know getting there might be near impossible, but Tigress would do the same for me." Po said with an air of sadness to his voice. "I don't care if I die on that mountain, but I'm going to get Tigress back. I have to try."

"Po, you can't do that!" Shifu said, "It is one of the most dangerous journeys in China, and surely you would just end up getting yourself killed. The temperatures are frigid even on the hottest of days there. You'd die of cold before you even made it halfway there."

"Ya Po," Monkey spoke up, "It's too dangerous. Tigress might already be dead Po!"

"STOP!" Po shouted. The very echo of his voice shook the floor and turned the hall dead silent.

"How could you say something like that? It's like you've already given up on her! She isn't dead. She can't be. I'm going to get her, no matter how dangerous it is. You should all be ashamed. Tigress wouldn't be so quick to give up on any of us if we were captured! Look, I know I'm the Dragon Warrior, and you guys need me here more, but the point of being who I am is to help those in need and right now Tigress is in need of _my help. _Tigress is my wife and part of my family. Family doesn't give up on each other. "

His words had an appalling effect on not only Shifu but the other occupants of the room, who all shot each other neurotic looks. The five had never seen Po so upset, and they certainly had never seen him raise his voice to Shifu, or anyone for that matter.

Shifu looked dubiously at his pupil, and then turned and took his leave. As Shifu reached the doorway, without turning around, he said

"I understand your feelings towards Master Tigress and I know you feel devoted enough to save her even if it costs you your own life. We haven't given up on her Po; it's just that I don't think we could handle it if we lost two students in such a short time. But go. Bring back my daughter but try not to die. I'm counting on you Po." Shifu said transcendently as he left Po and the rest of the five in the hall.

Po stood there for a second, in a muse about his new daunting task. Wondering how he could possibly save his beloved in a practical manner. How could he rescue Tigress without having to bargain with Xia? What would they do after they had gotten out of the mountain and were paired against the unmerciful arctic terrain, with no food or supplies? He quickly snapped back to reality however as he realized he was wasting precious time so he sprang up and ran to his room.

The five worryingly followed him, as they knew the panda they had all come to love would not be deterred from getting Tigress back. As they joined him in the room, they found him furiously packing a few things into a small burlap bag. He took out a pile of clothes and piled them idly in the bag, forming a misshapen hill of fabric.

"Ummmm, Po?" Viper inquired nervously, "You're not seriously considering going there alone, right?"

"What do you mean? The letter said I _have_ to come alone. If I don't they'll… well, you know what'll happen…"

"Po, this is a trap! Xia's using Tigress to lure you in." Crane said, "Let us go with you. We can help."

"It's too dangerous. You need to watch over the valley while I'm gone, keep everyone safe." Po said frankly as he packed the last of his belongings, including a small painting of him and Tigress with their arms wrapped around each other. Tigress' stunning smile was the focal point of the picture, along with her eyes, which were filled with a lighthearted buoyancy that made Po grin every time he looked at the painting. But Po did not even elicit a half-smile as now her face only brought new determination to his mission. This painting was their wedding portrait; a marker of the happiest time in Po's life. He needed something, _anything _that would remind him of her. Something that would remind him of those spectacular days spent with her.

Po walked out of the room briskly and padded along to the front of the palace. He turned around and faced the five.

"Well with any luck. I'll be back with Tigress in a few months, but just in case I don't return, there's something I left for you guys in my room. Only open it when you're sure I'm not coming back. I love you guys, and I'm sure gonna miss you." Po said with a tear forming in his eye.

"Po, we're gonna miss you too." Viper said solemnly. "You know you don't have to do this Po. We can find another way to bring her back."

"There is no other way. I have to. I'm sorry."

Po then started down the stairs, shuffling slowly. Once at the bottom, he cast one more look at the palace. He knew that this would probably be the last time he would see his home, the Jade Palace.

"Goodbye." Po whispered as one, solitary tear slid down his cheek and splattered against the rough stone pathway, lying there like a fallen soldier.

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Tigress slowly opened her eyes, adjusting to the darkness of the room in which she was in. Light flooded in from a single window at the far end of the room, proving that there was a world outside of this cold, dank prison after all. She tried to move her hands, but noticed that there were steel cuffs around her wrists, and those cuffs were steadfastly chained to the wall.

Soon, panic spread over her, wrapping the feline in blanket of fear.

"Ugh, help! Someone help me!" She shouted. Her pleas only echoed off the walls pointlessly.

_The wedding, the bandits. Po. What happened at the wedding? Where was she?_

Everything was such a blur to her now that it hurt her head just thinking about it. She lowered her head in despair. How could she let something like this happen? She should have expected Xia to come back to exact her revenge.

_How stupid of me… _She thought to herself.

Suddenly, the sound of metal hinges screeching made Tigress instinctively snap her head up towards a large wooden door opposite her as it was forcefully shoved open. There, standing in the entranceway was none other than Xia. Tigress emitted a low growl and bared her teeth as Xia walked up to her, grinning wildly.

"Ah, dear sister I'm glad you came!" Xia exclaimed, taking out a long sword from its sheath around her waist. "Why so sad? Oh wait, are you mad at me because I ruined your wedding day? I'm so sorry about that." She said with a mocking apologetic tone.

"I never did anything to you, and therefore I have no feud with you." Tigress said flatly, as she kept her eyes fixed straight ahead of her, not even bothering to look at her 'sister'.

"You didn't do anything to me? You stole the Dragon Warrior from me, beat the crap out of me, and then sent me off to Chorh-Gom. I certainly have a feud with _you _and now it's time for my revenge!" She shouted as she swiped the blade across Tigress' abdomen with a quick flick of her wrist. Soon, a small trickle of blood formed at the gash, and began to drip onto the floor. Tigress cried out in pain, but stayed on her feet. She refused to let this _brute _take control of her.

"You think you'll get away with this? As soon as I'm free, I will make you wish that you had never met me!" Tigress said coldly as she growled again.

"Yes, I actually do think I'll get away with this! And trust me; you're not getting out of those chains any time soon."

"Po will come and get me." Tigress said. "And when he gets here, you better run. I know he'll come, he _has _to."

"Well, that's the point!" Xia said, "You're the bait, and when he comes, he will be all mine!" And with that, the other female tiger took the sword and ran it across her legs this time, creating a large cut on each one of her shins. This time, the great Master Tigress did fall to the ground, the pain being too much of a burden on her agile legs. Tigress glared up at her sister, pure rage and hatred enveloped her completely now.

"I used to think that I was a monster, until I met you. You really think Po will just idly walk in here and do whatever you say? He will fight, and he will win. I know he will."

"Yes, I'm sure he will." Xia said dismissively as she walked out of the cell, slamming the bulky door behind her.

Tigress just stared at the grey, blotchy stone floor beneath her and thought of Po. She began to sob silently, wondering if she would ever see her panda again.

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Did you like it? Hopefully, you found some entertainment in reading this. Thanks so much and all of the story info/posting dates are on my profile! Please review!

-ww12


	3. The Journey

Wow, here is another late update indeed! Sorry I've been so busy lately, it's just kinda how life goes. Anyway, here is the third chapter, as I've been writing it for about a week now. I was writing a page here and there, but I finally decided to finish it up last night.

Well, I hope you all enjoy and as always, please review! Thank you so much!

-wolfgangwalker

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Chapter 3: Journey

The wind began to bite at Po's flesh as he headed ever deeper into the treacherous Wu Dan Mountains. The cold stung, but he tried not to pay it any attention. As long as he was reunited with his lover, he would go through any obstacle.

The trek was not a favorable one, as the bitter wind was almost like a paradise in the mountains. The temperature was known to drift into sub-zero often, and as winter was just around the corner, the days were getting colder every day.

Po climbed the many mountains that stood in his way, each seemingly more difficult to pass as he went on. He was making progress however, despite the obstacles that stood in his way. Short work was being made of the quest until something landed softly on Po's nose. He felt the cool surface of the object pierce him with a glacial chill. It was his worst enemy; the very thing he had been dreading since his departure.

Snow

At first, Po saw the first of the flakes drift down to Earth slowly, but the tempo soon increased. After a short while, it was whipping all around him, and he couldn't even see 10 feet in front of his face. The snow slapped him across the face, taunting him.

_This is it, I'm done for. I can't even see where I'm going! _Po thought as he struggled to keep going.

He soon started to drift into a half-conscious state, not fully in control of his body or his mind. Images of Tigress started to dance around in his head, and her sweet yet resolute voice echoed through his ears. She was telling him to keep going; for her. For their family.

But the continued fall of snow seemed to be telling him to stop; to just lay down and die. Each flake seemed to whisper dejecting statements to him as they fell.

_You'll never make it; you're just a fat panda. _

_She's already dead. _

_It's too late to save her. You failed._

Po was becoming more and more frustrated by the minute. He was angry at the situation, the weather, and how he was hungry _all the time_. He couldn't take it anymore.

"I can't do this!" Po cried at the top of his lungs as he fell to his knees. "I- I… give up." He let a tear roll down his cheek, but it never fell to the ground as it crystalized on his cheek.

"I'm so sorry Tigress… I've failed you." Po said apologetically as he stared up at the pale grey sky, waiting for the tendrils of death to wrap around him. All he could hear now was the unfriendly whistling of the wind as it gust over him.

_This must be the most wicked place in China, and I'm going to die here._ Po concluded as he looked all around him and saw only more of the same, grey abyss. But then, something _peculiar_ happened.

As if the sky itself had just realized Po's predicament, the snowfall started to slow. The harsh gale melded into a soft breeze, and within a few minutes, the snow had completely stopped. Po opened an eye, as he noticed the stillness of the air.

"Am I dead yet?" Po grumbled as opened an eye and looked around. He noticed that he was still on top of the mountain, yet there was no more snow coming down.

_This must be a sign. I must be destined to rescue her! _Po thought excitedly as a new flash of hope coursed through his veins.

"Alright!" Po shouted as he started _running_ down the opposite slope of the mountain. "Tigress, here I come!" Po proclaimed. Just then, he tripped on a rock protruding from the mountain and began a long tumble down the slope, similar to his many falls down the steps to the palace.

He finally reached the bottom of the peak in a snarled clump of black and white.

"Ouf, that's gonna leave a mark in the morning." Po whined as he got up and rubbed his shoulder blade. He looked off towards the next mountain, but instead of seeing another looming, desolate palisade, he saw the flickering lights of a small village in the valley before him. He could clearly see people milling about in the streets.

_How can there be a village in the middle of nowhere? How could anyone possibly survive out here? _Po pondered as he began to walk to the village.

His first thought was that he could be hallucinating, but as the village grew closer, it began to look more and more realistic to him. Po walked up to a building on the outskirts of the village, and brushed a paw against its rough-hewn surface. Sure enough it was real.

He continued to walk through the village streets until he came to a small hotel. He went inside and rented a room for the night.

"Hmmmm…." The elderly female goat innkeeper said as she looked Po over skeptically. "We don't get many travelers here often." She said bluntly. "So, what brings you here panda?"

"Well, I'm here to rescue my wife. She's being held captive at the Mangsau Palace."

"Oh, well I'm sorry to hear that dear. I hope you get her back." She said tenderly as she smiled up at him.

"Thanks, I hope so too." Po said exasperatedly "Hey, how do you all live out here anyway? This place is a wasteland! What do you eat?"

"Radishes. They grow in the cold, so we're able to plant them in the summer. It gets old after a while. Radish soup, radish stew, radish everything! But, it keeps us alive."

"Wow." Po said astonished as he tried to imagine eating nothing but the red vegetable for every meal.

After he got his room, he went over to the local shop and bought a bag full of radishes. They would surely last long enough for him to make it to the palace. He then went back to his room and quickly fell asleep. But, strange dreams soon plagued him as he was thrown into an uneasy slumber.

_Po sat in the middle of a thick forest, staring at a crackling fire across from him._

_"Hello, Dragon Warrior." An elderly voice said on the other side of the flame. Po quickly snapped his head up from the lambent embers and looked at the speaker. It was the soothsayer. She had a grim look on her face, and stared at Po with worry. "I have some news for you."_

_"What's that?" Po asked, now curious as to what she could possibly have to say to him._

_"I've had a vision, and I have come to warn you about your quest."_

_"What do you mean? What did you see?"_

_"I see a lone warrior of orange and black, returning home without her companion. I also see a Panda surrounded by hearts of pure black. He will have to make a decision that will either save or doom his true love. This decision may ultimately cost him his life. There is also another Tiger. Jealousy fuels her passion for killing. She will try to kill you next. Someone you trust will betray you. Beware the crescent moon Dragon Warrior…"_

_The soothsayer then began to fade,_

_"Your path is wrought with peril. Trust very few along your quest."_

_"Wait, what are you saying? Are you telling me I'm going to die?"_

_"I cannot say. Your decisions will decide that."_

_"No, no I want answers!" Po shouted at her, but it was too late. She had already disappeared into the night sky…_

"Agh! Tigress!" Po cried as he woke. He was breathing heavily and sweating.

_There's no way that could be real… _Po thought as he wearily went back to bed. No more dreams troubled him for the rest of the night.

Po woke the next morning, vividly remembering his dream with the soothsayer.

_Why was Tigress going to return home alone? Who would betray him? And why should he be so afraid of a crescent moon?_

A thousand questions buzzed around in his head like angry wasps, each demanding an answer. But answers were something he just didn't have at the moment. He wasn't even sure that the dream was real. The Soothsayer in his dream must have been just a figment of his imagination, but then why was his stomach in a knot?

He tried to swallow his nervousness, but it persisted. So he just tried to ignore it, despite the fact that it could be a matter of life or death.

Po then headed out of the hotel and decided to continue on with his long journey. As he was walking out of the village however, a voice shouted behind him,

"Where do you think _you're_ going?"

Po spun around to see a rhino, a black fox, and an ox all glaring at him.

"Um, do I know you?" Po said, surprised at the sudden display of hostility towards him.

"You should, _Dragon Warrior._" The fox spat. "You sent us all to Chorh-Gom to rot!" Then Po suddenly recognized the three criminals as past foes that he had defeated.

"Oh ya about that…" Po trailed off as the three started walking to him. "Seriously, I don't want to hurt you guys!" Po said, hoping not to start any trouble, but the thugs kept pressing onward. They backed Po up against a wall.

"Any last words panda?" The rhino said gruffly as he unsheathed a long, steel blade.

"Um ya… look out!" Po shouted as he pointed behind the rhino. The husky rhino spun around, right as a black paw collided with his jawbone. He crumpled to the ground, and a black jaguar loomed above him. Her eyes shimmered with pure turquoise as her graceful voice reverberated off the nearby buildings.

"Now boys, let's learn how to play nice."

"Get her!" The fox shouted as both him and the ox attempted to avenge their fallen comrade.

She delivered a solid punch and a kick to the ox, and then jumped up in the air and landed on the fox. After she had pinned him, she punched him in the head, sending him into an unconscious dreamland. She then got up to face Po.

"You better watch out, these guys are tough. Don't mess with the wrong people."

"I could've handled that myself, thank you." Po said crossly, disappointed that he didn't get to defeat them himself.

"Sure you could. Wait a minute; I've never seen you around here before. Who are you and what are you doing here?"

"Um, I'm Po, and I'm trying to get to the Mangsau Palace, but I don't really know how to find it. Do you know anyone that could tell me the way?"

"Well hello Po, I'm Shu. I know how to get to the palace. What's your business there?" Shu inquired, curious as to why the panda would want to go to Mangsau Palace of all places.

"Um… it's personal."

"Alright fine, don't tell me. Look, I'll help you get there. I could use an adventure myself."

"Alright, it's settled then. Thank you."

And with that, the panda and the jaguar set out to find the palace. The snow crunched beneath their feet as they trekked across miles of more barren, icy dessert. Po started to fumble as they went on, his strength slowly diminishing as the minutes turned to hours, and then to days. They only slept for a few hours at a time, and ate sparingly.

As they reached the top of yet another ridge, Po finally cracked.

"Ugh, I need- I need a break…" He said panting heavily.

"Look." Shu said with an urging tone; pointing a black digit at the landscape beyond. Po looked up over the ridge and saw a giant, looming structure that appeared to be as old as the mountains themselves. The old grey brick was chipped off in many places along the outer wall of the place, and the tall stone pillars that jetted up out of the chateau were crumbling away into dust. The palace had an air to it of desolate evil. Just looking at it gave Po the chills. It looked more like a graveyard than the illustrious dwelling that he had pictured it to be in his mind.

"It's the Mangsau Palace! We made it!" Po exclaimed as a wave of relief came over him.

There were soldiers patrolling the wall of the palace, and Po recognized a few of them as criminals he had thwarted and thrown in jail in the past.

"So, how do we get in?" Shu said nervously. "I didn't expect that the place to be surrounded by thugs." Po was shocked at her loyalty to follow him into the fortress, seeing as she was just a simple village girl.

"What? You're not going in there! You'll get yourself killed. Besides, you can't defend yourself against all of those warriors."

"I handled myself just fine against those three warriors back at the village. Look, I'm coming with you no matter what."

"Ugh… fine." Po said in defeat as he knew that the jaguar was the type that never lost an argument. "We're not sneaking in though. We have to go in through the front doors. This is my fight, so I'm not expecting you to come along."

"No. I'm going with you." The female said as she grabbed Po's arm tightly. Po felt uncomfortable at the fact that another girl was grabbing him other than his wife, but he decided to just ignore it. He looked down at her wrist and noticed a string bracelet wrapped around. On the string was a crescent moon charm, reflecting the sun off its polished surface. Po dismissed it however, as the long weeks in the snow had left him thinking unclearly.

So the two walked up to the palace, alerting all of the guards of their arrival…

* * *

"Empress Xia, Empress Xia!" A guard shouted as he burst in to the malevolent cat's quarters. He hated using the term _Empress Xia _but she had threatened to kill anyone who didn't refer to her as such.

"What?" She said agonizingly as she looked up from her paper-wrought desk.

"The panda has arrived just like you said he would. He's at the front gates now."

"Excellent!" Xia cried as she stood up and made her way out of the room. "I'd better go tell my dear sister the good news!"

Xia walked briskly through the long corridors of the palace, until she came to a solid wood door. She flung it open, revealing a bloody tiger before her. There were cuts all up and down her arms and legs, and there were claw marks across her right cheek and her forehead.

At the arrival of Xia, Tigress wanted to scream in fear, yet she was a fighter. She only cast a menacing glare at her sister. She pulled at her restraints, desperately trying to get free, but same as the past month, they still held her down.

"Now, now. I'm not here to hurt you this time. Now is a time of happiness; of celebration! Your precious Dragon Warrior has come to save you!" Tigress' heart skipped a beat at the mention of a name in which she hadn't heard in several weeks.

_He actually came for me. He truly does care…_

Tigress growled and said,

"If you lay a finger on him, I'll…"

"You'll what? _Kill me?_ Haha, I'd like to see you try." Xia teased.

"He's going to save me, and you're going to regret what you've done." Tigress lashed back through barred teeth.

"We'll see about that. We'll see…"

* * *

Well, there it is! I hope you all liked it! Anyway, I've already updated my profile with information on the story's progress and when the next chapter should be expected. (It's sooner this time I promise.) And also, I may be releasing another story soon, so there's also info on that on my profile!

Thanks again for reading and please review! I'll respond to every review. But so far, I love the feedback. Thanks!

-ww12


	4. Reunited

**Wow everyone, I'm so sorry! I said I would post WAYYYY earlier, but I lied. Between school, sports, and writing, I'm SWAMPED. But, it's okay because I have some more free time now. Well, I hope you enjoy the late update and please, please, please review! Thanks so much everyone!**

**-wolfgangwalker**

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_"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage."_

_-Lao Tzu_

_**Chapter 4: Reunited**_

As Po and Shu approached the palace, they were quickly apprehended by the palace's guards. Po went without a fight, but Shu was more resistant. She knocked out several of the guards and made quite a scene before they were able to overpower her.

They were escorted through what seemed to be miles and miles of dreary hallways until they entered a large, circular chamber. There, stood a dark orange Tiger. She was glaring at Po; all of her concentrated hate pierced him in a vindictive bolt of hatred.

"Ah, I see you finally made it! I assume you came for that feisty one you call your wife." Xia said repulsively.

"Yes, I did. Where is she Xia?" Po said loudly as he took a step towards her.

"Calm down, she's safe and sound. But remember, you came here to _bargain _for her life. You can't just expect me to _hand _her over to you!"

"Fine, what do you want?"

"I want _you._"

"Excuse me?"

"If you want to save your beloved kitty so much, you will stay behind here, at Mangsau Palace with me."

"You've got to be kidding!" Po cried, shocked at her ludicrous proposal. "There's no way I'm staying here with you! I came here so that both me _and _Tigress could return home _together_."

"Fine then," Xia pouted, knowing perfectly well that Po would never be interested. "If you won't stay here, I guess I'll just have to make you pay with your life! Guards, kill the panda!"

Before he could realize what was going on, Po was surrounded by a ring of guards, all closing in on him.

They circled Po and Shu, who were now back to back, waiting for the first move to be made. A large gator was the first to attack, rushing them with a spear in hand, but Shu quickly delivered a kick to the abdomen. The gator was sent flying backwards, and bowled over another one of his comrades in the process. The rest then charged, and Po and Shu were swallowed in the fray of battle. But, thanks to Po's skills and Shu's uncanny strength, the last of the guards hit the floor with a hollow thud within minutes of the first punch being thrown.

Po brushed himself off, and then locked eyes with Xia again. He clenched his fists and then started forward, but Shu quickly put a protective arm in front of him.

"Po, I'll hold her off. Go find her."

"Alright, but you're sure you'll be okay?"

"Positive. Now go!"

Po ran off down the corridor leading to the chamber, and set off to find Tigress. Surprisingly, he didn't run into any opposition as he wandered the corridors. The palace was seemingly devoid of life.

"Tigress! Tigress!" Po shouted. His echoes bounced off of the walls and made their way to a sunless cell, containing a near-broken tiger. She was kneeling down, waiting for something, _anything, _to happen that might be able to spring her free from the situation. Her ears perked up at the mention of her name. She looked up towards the door and listened.

"Tigress, where are you?" Came the faint call.

_Po? _She thought excitedly, hoping that this was actually happening and not just some dream.

"Po!" She yelled, pulling at her chains again. "Po, help!"

Po heard Tigress calling him, and it was the most amazing sound in the world to him. He hadn't heard her voice in over a month now. Even in this dark, solemn place, her voice was still full of radiant beauty. The cries seemed to be coming from all directions as they hit Po, but he was able to dial in on the source as they increased in volume. His extensive search of the labyrinth eventually led him to a door.

It was a solid oak door, and it looked about as old as Shifu himself. Po banged against the door.

"Tigress, are you in there?" He asked hopefully.

"Yes, Po I'm here!" Tigress shouted back from the other side of the barrier.

Po found the keys to the door conveniently located next to it and attempted to unlock it, but the task proved to be daunting as his hands were shaking too much to insert the key. He eventually managed to unlock the door, and he swung it open sharply only to find a horrid scene spread before him.

There was Tigress, lying on the cold floor. She had gashes strewn across her body, and she looked very weak for someone who was usually iron-tough.

"Po…" She said feebly as she gazed up at her Dragon Warrior. "You came…"

"Tigress!" Po shouted as he ran over to her. "Are you okay? I was so worried about you! Oh no, Ti you're hurt." He said as he inspected her injuries closer. He then looked into her eyes.

"Po, I'm fine… I was so scared Po. I thought I'd never see you again." Tigress said, shedding a tear.

"Shhhh… It's okay. You're safe now." Po said as he wiped the tear from her cheek. Po then embraced his wife. Her fur felt rough and matted against his with all the blood. Po then leaned in and kissed her. It was a kiss of pure love and affection. It only lasted for a minute however, as Po remembered their perilous situation.

"Oh Ti, I've gotta get you out of these." He said, mentioning to the steel chains that immobilized her. He flipped through the keys on the ring, and found one that matched the pattern etched onto the cuffs. He tried it, and the cuff unlocked, freeing Tigress' right paw. He then quickly unlocked the rest of them, setting Tigress free. He helped her up, but she was barely able to stand at first. Po helped support her as she took a few shaky steps. She then gave Po a giant hug, grasping him tightly. He returned the gesture, holding her tight as well. She nuzzled Po's neck affectionately and let out a small purr, something she had been longing to do for some time now.

After they broke apart, Po began to realize something.

_The palace being empty, the shortage of guards, the keys right by the door… something's not right here._

Tigress saw Po's dawning look of fear, and asked

"Po, what's wrong?"

"I think we've been tricked. We need to leave, now!" He exclaimed as he grabbed Tigress' paw and whisked her out of the room. They wandered the halls for a while, until Po finally found what he had been looking for. _The exit._

And as the two ran out into the palace courtyard, they were appalled to find what was waiting for them. There, a hundred thugs stood, waiting for them. Xia was at the front of this small army, and next to her was Shu. Her arms were bound and she was on her knees. She looked at Po with a look of shame. A look that said, _I failed you. _

"Well, well, well. The two separated lovebirds, united at last! Isn't that precious!" Xia mocked while she clapped her hands in a sarcastic manner.

"Oh, you're _so_ dead!" Tigress roared as she sprinted forward, Po hot on her heels.

The rest of the army also surged ahead, colliding with the newlyweds in the center of the yard. Tigress and Po immediately went to work on the army, delivering a volley of precise punches and kicks to their foes. Tigress kicked one crocodile, and sent him flying 20 feet in the air. She then focused her attention on getting to Xia.

_She was going to finish her off, once and for all._

Meanwhile, Po was battling droves of opponents, who were coming at him from all sides. Just as he thought that he could take no more of this aggravation, the fighting suddenly stopped. Po looked around and noticed the dead calm settle in as every single guard at the palace had their gaze fixed upon the center of the field. Po looked in the direction of the focus, and saw Tigress and Xia standing across from one another. A crowd had now gathered around them, as no one wanted to miss this fight between sisters.

Tigress cracked her knuckles as she readied herself for the battle that was to come.

"You know, I've gotten better at Kung Fu since we last fought." Xia said hubristically, "This time, I will make sure you die. And after you're dead, I'll kill your precious panda as well!"

"Not if I kill you first!" Tigress shouted as she leapt towards Xia and connected her paw with her sister's jaw. Xia flew back, and was apprehensive to get up, but she did anyway. Now Xia raced at Tigress and punched her in the chest as hard as she could, causing her to crumple to the ground.

"Tigress, no!" Po screamed as he ran towards his wife, but he was soon stopped dead in his tracks by the guards.

"Stay back panda! This is between me and my sister. It's not your fight!" Xia exclaimed as she pointed at Po.

"Tigress…" Po said as he looked at her. She was now only a few feet away from him. Her eyelids were half-closed, and she was panting.

"Po… I'm fine. I can handle this." She said as she gave him a weak reassuring smile.

_Come on. I have to get up. For Po. _Tigress thought as she lay on the ground. She slowly got to her feet, and wiped a small flow of blood from her face. Not that it mattered anyway, seeing as how she already was covered in blood from head to toe.

The courtyard was thrown into utter silence as Tigress slowly got up. Everyone was in shock. Usually, that kind of hit would cripple any ordinary warrior, but then again Tigress was not ordinary. One wolf even started to clap for her, before he was promptly silenced by being smacked over the head.

"Hmmmm, impressive." Xia stated curiously as she witnessed the preternatural recovery of the feline. "You're tough, but I will soon crush you."

Tigress just glared again, daring Xia to make the first move. And just as she had hoped, Xia took the bait. She ran forward and jumped in the air, hoping to pounce on Tigress and then pin her, but Tigress easily anticipated this, and as Xia was only a few feet above her Tigress kicked up and hit her sister in the side. She hit the cold, frostbitten ground and slid 10 feet before coming to a stop. Xia was quicker about her recovery though, and jumped up with a great amount of exuberance.

Xia realized that she would never be able to beat her sister in a _fair _fight, so she decided that she would simply _change the rules_. Tigress met Xia in the middle, and they began to fight once again. Tigress had the defined edge on Xia; dodging quicker, punching faster, and jumping higher, all with better accuracy and agility than Xia.

It looked like Tigress was about to pound Xia into a pulp, when she took out her weapon of choice, _the dagger. _Tigress had jumped straight at Xia as she pulled the blade out, and couldn't stop herself in time. The momentum carried her straight to the blade, and Xia made a deep gouge across her right shoulder blade and then swiped across her thigh. She fell to the ground, clutching her bleeding shoulder.

"You- you cheated…" Tigress mumbled.

"Yes, I suppose I did, but really we never agreed that we couldn't use weapons." Xia said stolidly.

After a month of senseless torture and now this, Tigress couldn't take it anymore. All of the fight had left her, and she was now helpless to defend herself. Po rushed over to Tigress, and this time no one tried to stop him.

"Tigress, you're hurt bad! Can you stand up?" Po asked worriedly.

"I don't think so, but I'll try." She said as she attempted to stand, but as she was halfway up, the pain from her shoulder and her leg was too unbearable. She let out a short cry of pain, and fell. Po caught her in his arms, and looked again at his bride. She had been through so much suffering, and so much pain.

_She didn't deserve this. _Po thought _I should've been the one to take her place._

"I'm sorry Po." She said wistfully as she wrapped her hands around his neck. "I was too blind to realize that she might do something like that."

"No, no, no. It's not your fault Ti, no one thought that she would do something so twisted. But everything's going to be okay, I've got a plan."

"Oh no, you have a plan? We're doomed." Tigress said as she let out a faint smile. Po smiled back and elicited a small chuckle.

"Trust me, I know what I'm doing! Have some faith!"

Po then picked up Tigress, and walked over to Shu, who was struggling with her restraint. Po carefully set Tigress down, and untied Shu. He then scooped up his bride and ran for the doors.

While this escape plan was going on, Xia was ranting about how she had just defeated the great Master Tigress of the Furious Five. She was too blind to notice that her prisoners were all escaping. The rest of the guards were cheering too, and they were all oblivious to the fact that they were getting away as well. Po, Tigress, and Shu quietly slipped out the front gates and ran for the mountains, hoping to gain as much distance possible before anyone realized their absence.

Xia's celebration went on for almost half an hour, until she finally simmered down to the point where she could tell that something was odd. None of her detainees were in sight. She looked around, and saw no sign of them. A red hot geyser of rage went off inside of her. She had been so close to being able to kill all of them, and they had given her the slip.

"Where are they?!" She roared. "Didn't anyone see them leave?"

Not one soul dared speak up now, for they all valued their lives. And besides, none of them had a good explanation for how they had missed them get away.

"Alright, everyone get ready! We're going after them!" Xia barked at her army.

_She would kill either her sister or the fat panda, even if it was the last thing she ever did. _

* * *

**So, hope you guys liked it, and as always please review! Also, my ESTIMATED update time for the next chapter is up on my profile, so you can look at that for more info! Thanks again!**

**-ww12**


	5. The Truth

**Hey, WOW! It has been such a long time! I can't even count the days anymore! Well, sorry about posting later and later, but I'm going to try and improve on that. This was a very long chapter, so it took a little while longer then usual to write up. As always, I hope that you really like this chapter and PLEASE leave a review, I need to know how I'm doing after being absent for so long! Anyway thanks again everyone and review!**

**-wolfgangwalker12**

* * *

Chapter 5: The Truth

Po and Shu stumbled aimlessly across the gelid plain, trying to distance themselves as much as they could from Xia's fortress. Tigress was clutched tightly in Po's arms, and she didn't look to be in a very stable condition. Her eyes were only half open, and she was bleeding a lot. Po had wrapped her leg and her side, but the frayed cloth bandages Po had used were not sufficient enough to stop the flow of crimson from her wounds. Po pushed on as fast as he could, so they could reach the village sooner and tend to Tigress' wounds.

The first night after they escaped from the palace, they camped out on top of one of the many mountains that peppered the Wu Dan range. Once there, Po made better bandages for Tigress, while Shu constructed a makeshift tent and got a fire going.

Shu and Po took shifts looking out across the terrain while the others slept in the tent, but because it was so dark it proved futile to try and see anything approaching them. The moon was draped in a gloomy haze as the cloudy sky obscured it from view and the only light that was around after dusk was the faint orange glow emitting from the crackling embers of a long-deceased flame.

In the morning Po woke to find himself lying next to Tigress, her arms carelessly sprawled around him.

She slept like an angel, and even though she had just been seriously wounded, she had a carefree expression that told otherwise. She was smiling and was making a small purring sound that even the fluttering of a bird's wings could drown out. Po cherished the times like these, where he would wake up before her and get to see her face like this. It was a rare occurrence, as usually he was a heavy sleeper and Shifu didn't _technically_ allow them to sleep in the same room, but when he did get to see her like this, he wished that time could stop and he could lay by her side forever.

The pacifistic moment was promptly interrupted however, as Shu barged in to the tent with a splenetic look.

"Po, we need to keep moving. I see the army on the horizon."

Tigress grumbled as she slowly opened her eyes.

"Hmmmm, Po what's happening?" Came the drowsy voice.

"We have to keep moving Ti; the army's coming for us." Po said gently.

"Oh, well don't I get a good morning kiss first?" She replied slyly, not noticing that Shu was in the tent as well.

"Why, of course." He said as he leaned in and locked lips with her.

Shu watched with masked disgust as the two shared their tender moment, but said nothing as she silently slipped out of the tent and went to her own bag. She shifted around some clothes and supplies to reveal a sharp blade concealed at the bottom of the bag.

_Soon… _She thought as she quickly hid the blade again under her belongings. She grinned but it abruptly melted into a false smile as Po and Tigress emerged from the tent. Tigress was still limping, and her shoulder was bothering her as well, but she was doing quite well considering the fact that she had just been stabbed. But even though she looked strong, she couldn't make any real progress without Po's help. If they wanted to keep their ground against the army, she would still require Po to carry her.

Po looked out across the plain and sure enough, there was a small speck on the horizon line which he knew to be the warriors that were coming for them.

"Come on, we better get moving." He said as he packed his things.

The next few days were filled with darting around in the arctic, with Po, Tigress, and Shu keeping an ever-decreasing lead on the army. Every night, they would look out and see the faint orange glow of torches growing closer and closer. With Po having to carry Tigress mile after mile, their progress slowed. After a few stressful days with the army trailing them, the village finally popped back into view. It was a beacon of hope for the weary travelers. Here, they could rest and resupply, and they could also take Tigress to a doctor to fix up her injuries. But, the army was now clearly visible to the party. They could almost see each individual warrior milling about, but among them there was no sign of the dark orange tiger known now as _Empress_ Xia.

Po and Tigress decided that they would stay the night at the same inn Po had stayed at before on his trip to the palace and leave in the morning. There seemed to be no way that the army could progress up the last ridge to the village in one night. Po told Shu that her task was done and that she could leave, but she _graciously _offered to stay with them until they got out of the Wu Dans.

They took Tigress to the local healer, and she was outfitted in bandages. She then was examined by the nurse to see if she had any internal injuries. Po and Shu left the room to give them some privacy. The nurse was in the middle of inspecting her when she suddenly stopped and exclaimed,

"Oh my! Dear, you're- you're pr-"

But before the nurse could finish her sentence, Tigress quickly placed a paw over her mouth.

"Shhhh. I know, I know just… don't say anything!" Tigress hissed with a bit of a low growl blended in with her voice. The threatening tone worked, as the nurse dawned a look that clearly expressed that she valued her life and would avoid bringing up the subject to the panda or anyone else to make sure she didn't have to face the wrath of the tough looking female.

"A- alright, but you won't be able to keep it a secret forever you know."

"I know, but I'll tell him when I'm good and ready."

"Alright, well other than that, you're fine. You are free to go."

As Tigress and the healer walked out of the building, Po ran up to her, looking very nervous. He looked to the healer first

"Is she alright? Is there anything serious that I should know about?"

"Po, I'm fine!" Tigress said, making sure that the nurse wouldn't be able to tell Po anything. "Now let's go, it's getting late."

So, they all went back to the hotel to retire for the evening. Tigress laid down next to Po in the bed and he put an arm around her.

As darkness crept in upon the village from the mountains, Po drifted off to sleep and began to have nightmares again. They were about the soothsayer and Tigress again, and the words from his first dream were buzzing in and out of his head, a constant rhythmic tune that didn't seem to cease in tormenting him through the night.

_…lone warrior of orange and black, returning home without her companion._

…_the decision may ultimately cost him his life_

_Beware the crescent moon…_

"Ah!" Po cried out as he shot upright from the bed, waking up from the foreboding vision. Tigress immediately woke as well, startled by the shout.

After the initial shock wore away, she looked over at her husband. He was rigid and his eyes were wide.

"Po, what's wrong?" She asked desperately, scared for her mate.

"Nothing, I'm- I'm fine. Go back to bed Ti it was just a nightmare, that's all." Po lied, hoping that Tigress wouldn't press him for any information. To his dismay however, she asked anyway.

"The way you woke up sure didn't seem like _just a nightmare_. Po, what's troubling you?" She asked, placing a paw on his shoulder. Her orange eyes pressed for information, staring into the panda's orbs with a look of understanding and concern. "You know you can tell me anything."

"Fine," He said in defeat. He then told Tigress all about his dreams, and the crescent moon. Tigress listened to every word with increasing panic.

"Look, it's just a stupid dream. Now let's go back to bed."

Tigress just stared at him, contemplating what any of the cryptic message from the soothsayer could mean.

"Po, I'm not going to lose you. I already lost you for a month, and even that was almost too difficult to bear. I need you Po, and I'm going to do everything I possibly can so that you don't have to make any kind of sacrifice. This must be some sort of a vision, but I'm not going to let it come true."

_Tigress didn't know it at the time, but she would never be able to keep that promise._

"You know, I'm sure it was just a simple dream anyway!" Po said, once again dismissing the warning. "It's not like a dream can tell the future."

"Ya- ya, I guess you're right…" Tigress said, still agitated that this might actually be some vision of events to come.

As they laid back down again, Tigress curled up closely next to Po and wrapped her arms around him tightly.

"I'll never let anyone or anything take you away from me." She whispered protectively as she slowly began to doze off again, trying to smother the gut feeling she had that both her and Po were in great danger.

* * *

As soon as the kaleidoscopic tendril-like rays of the sun protruded into the small, stuffy room, Tigress' eyes immediately snapped open. She gave Po a small nudge to wake him before getting out of the bed and going to the window. She looked out and noticed something gravely wrong with the view outside.

There were no villagers. The streets were now just as barren and desolate as the surrounding ice-capped peaks. Even though it was early, there would surely still be a few shops open. Instead, it looked as though the entire village had evacuated in the night. But of course they hadn't; something else was out there, and they were just too scared.

"The villagers are too afraid to go outside." Tigress thought out loud. At the sound of her voice, Po opened his eyes and looked over at her. He saw her bemused expression, and joined her at the window.

"Hmmm weird, no one's up yet." He said sleepily, expelling a small yawn.

"No, that's not it, something's wrong. Po, let's go. Get Shu and we'll make a dash for the mountains."

"Tigress, your leg…"

"I'll be fine. We need to go, now!" She snapped at him as she hastily began to pack their bags. Po knocked on the inn room next to theirs, as Shu was staying next door, but there was no answer. Po kept calling, but the door remained stationary, and he didn't hear anything coming from within the room. Finally, Po got tired and anxious of waiting and broke down the door. What he found however, was not what he had been expecting.

The room was empty. No Shu. None of her possessions. Just a bed and a nightstand. Po dashed back to their room.

"Ti, Shu's not here!"

"Her too? Where is everyone?" Tigress pondered as she finished backing the bags. "Alright, let's get out of here." she said, fearing that they might not be able to get out of the village at all.

They dashed out of the inn, but as soon as they got out, they were confronted by an unfriendly sight.

Shu was standing in front of them, dagger in hand. Xia's army was behind her, sneering and shouting obscenities at them. The criminal army had somehow managed to catch up with them overnight, a seemingly impossible feat.

"Sh- Shu, what are you doing? What is this?" Po asked, mentioning to the force she seemed to be commanding.

"This is me betraying you!" Shu spat at them. "Ya that's right, I'm not the innocent leopard girl you thought I was! It was so much easier getting you to trust me so I could let the army follow us back here while I kept an eye on you. Empress Xia hired me to help you at first and gain your trust. It looks like I did my job right."

As Shu was talking, Tigress nudged Po's shoulder and whispered,

"Po, look at her wrist!" Po looked at Shu's hand, and saw a bracelet with a crescent moon pendant.

"Beware of the crescent moon…" Po said, finally piecing together his visions.

_The dream, it was real… _Po thought to himself, gradually accepting the fact that he was probably going to have to make an ultimate sacrifice to protect the one thing he loved most in the world… that one Tiger who had shunned him when he had first come to the palace. The one that had eventually learned to step outside of her cold shell and take a chance on her own bottled up emotions.

_Tigress…_

_I'm not going to let her down. Not again. I'll make sure she makes it home even if it kills me. _Po now thought determinedly as he began to come up with ways that they could get out of the village. He came up with no good ideas.

"So as you can see, your situation is very dire." Shu sneered at them. Her harsh attitude was alarming and foreign to Po, who had thought just minutes before that she was just a simple, sweet panther. "Empress Xia didn't want to make the long journey so she left me in charge of things. She said she wanted me to kill the two of you, but she also said that she'd give you another option because she 'pities' you. Po, if you kill the Tiger right now, I will let you go free."

"Excuse me?" Po asked, shocked. "You honestly think I'm going to kill my wife? Hah, you really are crazy!" Po shot at the panther. Shu sneered, but kept her composure.

"I thought you might say that, so I brought some company. If you won't kill her, they will, and they'll kill both of you. I'm sorry Po, I never wanted this to happen, but this is the only way." Shu said with a small twang of sincerity in her voice. Her face loosened up, and the dark storm over her cleared for a split second, allowing a small smile to protrude through her lips. She quickly lost it however, and returned to her statue-like pose.

"Alright!" Shu shouted to the criminals behind her. "Kill them both, and make sure they don't get away this time!"

The army started to advance towards Po and Tigress. Tigress found Po's paw with her own and grasped it tightly.

"Everything's gonna be okay, I promise." Po said, but he wasn't completely sure that he could keep that promise at this point. Their position was bleak, with the army continuing to march towards them.

Po thought up a plan in a split second and put it into action immediately. His plan was simple.

Run.

So, he picked up Tigress and dashed off in the opposite direction of the army. The bandits now began to pursue the two at a running pace, trying to keep up with the elusive panda. Po was desperately trying to shake the army by darting in and out between buildings and alleys.

Po knew that he couldn't avoid them forever, and he knew that they wouldn't be able to get out of the village without being spotted, so he decided to formulate another plan. An idea hatched in his mind as soon as he saw a nearby wagon being loaded up with supplies.

Po ran over to the old pig who was loading up the wagon.

"Excuse me sir, where are you taking this cart?" He asked

"I'm takin it down out of the mountains to the market market, of course." The man replied in a raspy voice.

"Perfect! Alright, I need you to take her out of the mountains." Po said, mentioning to the orange feline cradled in his arms. "Here, I've got cash." He said as he slipped his hand in his pockey and fished around until he found an assortment of gold coins. He placed the coins in the man's hands.

"Here, I hope this is enough to take her." He said. The man looked dumbfounded at the coins in his hand.

"For this much, I'll take whatever you need out of the mountains!" He said.

"Great, I need you to leave right away. Thank you so much." Po said, bowing to the elderly pig.

Po went around to the back of the wagon and gently set Tigress down in it. Tigress looked up at Po, confused as to what was going on.

"Po, what are you doing?"

"I'm making sure that you'll be alright." He replied grimly. "This wagon will take you out of the mountains. There, you'll be safe."

"Wait, but what about you? You're coming with me, right?"

"I'm staying back to hold them off. It'll give you time to make it to the cover of the mountains."

"No, Po you can't do that. You can't leave me!" Tigress shouted at him, her face full of hurt and pain.

"I'm sorry, but I couldn't protect you once, and now I'm gonna make sure that never happens again. It's just like in my dream." He said smiling at her, clearly accepting his fate.

"Po, they'll kill you! I said I wouldn't let you sacrifice yourself, so I'm not letting you do this."

"If it means you'll be safe, I'm willing to make that sacrifice for you."

"No, I'm staying." Tigress said defiantly. "I have to help you."

"Ti, you can't help. Not like this anyway. You're staying here. Trust me; everything's going to be okay." Po said reassuringly. Of course, he knew that doing this would save his spouse but would also ultimately lead to his utter annihilation.

He leaned in and gave her a small kiss.

_A goodbye kiss. _Po thought.

"It's going to be okay. I love you Ti. I love you so much." He said. Tigress was now tearing up, and she had a firm grip on his paw.

Po regretfully shook her grip and turned to walk away.

Tigress decided that now was the last chance she would get to say what she had been meaning to tell Po for weeks now.

"Po! I'm- I'm pregnant!" She shouted after him. As soon as those words hit Po's ears, he stopped dead in his tracks and spun around. He ran back to the wagon as fast as he could, and kneeled by Tigress.

"Wha- what did you say?" Po asked, not being able to believe what he had just heard.

"I'm pregnant Po." Tigress said with a smile. "I found out a few weeks ago." Po smiled as well, realizing that he was going to be a father.

"That's… that's great Ti!" He said and he held Tigress' paws. "Is it a boy or a girl?"

"I don't know yet."

"Have you thought about names?"

"No, I was going to wait until you found out to start thinking about it."

"Alright, well let's think about it right now." Po said.

"Al-alright" Tigress stammered, her paws shaking with excitement.

"I think that Mei-yin is a beautiful girl's name" Tigress offered.

"I think it is too." Po said, nodding in agreement. "If it's a girl, we name her Mei-yin."

"And if it's a boy?" Tigress asked.

"I like Xiang." Po said. "That's a good, strong name."

"Agreed. So Mei-yin for a girl, and Xiang for a boy." Tigress said with a nervous chuckle.

"Whatever it is, I know that you'll be a great mom. Tigress, you know I have to do this now." Po said, changing the subject back to the dark matter. "For our family."

"Po, they need a father." Tigress said pleadingly, her brilliant tangerine eyes sparkling with tears now.

"They need a mother even more. Look, after I'm done with the army I'll… catch up with you, okay?" Po said, trying to give Tigress hope, even though it was false hope.

"Please, don't do this. You'll die for certain if you face that army alone!"

"I have to, I'm sorry. I love you Tigress." Po said as he gave her another quick kiss. The wagon suddenly jolted forward, starting out on its long journey from the village.

"I love you to Po." Tigress whispered. The wagon pulled away from the panda, and Tigress waited until after the panda had turned and disappeared from sight to start crying.

* * *

**There it is! ANother chapter down, several more to go. Thanks again and also I already updated my profile with my very loose "estimated" posting date and more about the story. Also, review please!**

**Thanks!**

**-ww12**


	6. Coping

**Hey everyone it's me again! You probobly thought I was dead, with me not being here for so long, but here I am! I'm really sorry about the speed of this update, but I've just had a lot of things between XC and finals for school so things should speed up after this week is over! Thanks so much for waiting everyone! Please, please, please review!**

**-wolfgang**

* * *

**Chapter 6: Coping**

_Jade Palace, 3 weeks later…_

The wagon slowly traversed through the crowded streets of the village, snaking around the inept shopkeepers and traders until it finally rolled to a halt at the foot of the stairs that led up to the Jade Palace. An orange feline slowly stepped out of the wagon, thanked the driver, and headed up the stairs to see her family for the first time in over a month.

This was supposed to be a happy, joyous occasion for her, but there was something missing; that one panda who had given his life to protect her and their unborn child.

This would be somewhat of a bittersweet reunion for her, as she would finally be home again, but she would be without Po now. She had lived with him at the palace for so long now it was impossible to imagine what life would be like without his humorous emanation.

_A lone warrior of orange and black, returning home without her companion._

She climbed the last steps of the palace and stumbled through the palace doors, interrupting a furious five training session. Everyone in the room stopped what they were doing and stared at her, like she didn't belong at the palace, but then the five's memories and emotions caught back up with them.

"Tigress!" Viper screamed as she slithered to the Tiger as fast as she could. Monkey, Mantis, and Crane quickly joined her at Tigress' side. There was a lot of hugging and tears involved from the five, but Tigress maintained a vacant expression. How could she be happy when the guilt of Po's sacrifice was weighing down on her? She felt sick to her stomach, as she thought that she could've done something to prevent the situation from happening.

After everyone else calmed down from the reunion, they caught on to Tigress' unfeeling aura.

"Tigress, what's wrong? Aren't you glad you're back home now?" Viper questioned, puzzled as to why Tigress wasn't even eliciting a smile. She knew Tigress was really never one to smile, but her feline friend looked distraught, like there was something seriously wrong. "Wait," She said, looking around "Tigress, where's Po?"

* * *

Shifu was meditating up at the sacred pool of tears when Crane suddenly flew in calling,

"Master Shifu, Master Shifu!"

"What?" Shifu said angrily, as he had instructed his students to only interrupt his meditation when it was an absolute emergency.

"Master Shifu, Tigress is back!" Crane cried. The Red Panda just stood there, stunned.

"What?!" He said, stricken by disbelief. Shifu started down the hill but Crane flew in front of him.

"But Master Shifu, Po…"

"Yes, what about Po? Is he hurt?" He said impatiently, eager to see his daughter for the first time in what had seemed like decades.

"He- he didn't make it back master." Crane said, looking at the ground as he spoke.

"What do you mean?" Shifu said not fully comprehending what his student had just told him.

"Po… didn't return with Master Tigress. She's saying that he's dead."

Shifu didn't say another word to the avian. Instead, he ran down to the palace as fast as he could. He burst into the hall, and found his daughter sitting by the pool at the end of the hall. She was oblivious to her surroundings, lost in a sea of overwhelming depression.

Shifu was never good with emotions, but he wanted to tell her that everything was going to be okay. He knew however that he would be lying if he said that.

If what Crane had said was true, then Tigress' husband, the Dragon Warrior was dead. Without Po, who knew what pitiful creature of the dark could rise up and take control of the valley? He was supposed to defend China, but now that he had passed on, the entire land was vulnerable to invasion or attack.

Shifu walked silently up to Tigress, still thinking about the repercussions of not having Po around. He sat next to her and said nothing for what seemed to be like a few million years. He finally spoke however, uttering only a few words.

"Po, is he… dead?" He asked carefully. Tigress cringed when he said the word 'dead', but remained silent. She nodded a simple 'yes', and returned back to her absent minded gaze. "Tigress, what happened?"

"I- I-" Tigress stammered, trying to gather the strength to describe the horrible journey. She finally looked up at him, and he saw her eyes red from crying. "I let him down Master Shifu. It's all my fault."

She then began to describe a hellish yet inspiring story of the Dragon Warriors plight to save her and their escape from Mangsau Palace. She told of his visions and how they had come to life, and finally she explained why Po was missing; the sacrifice he had made to protect her.

The only part she left out was the part about her pregnancy. She had already had a rough journey home as it was, and she didn't feel ready to tell anyone else about it. After she finished the tragic tale, Shifu was left stunned and upset. He almost felt angry at Po for getting himself killed, but he knew Po had done it for the best. His heart had been in the right place, and he had died with honor and dignity, like any warrior should.

"Tigress, it's not your fault that Po's gone. He made his own choice, not you. Look, you can't go blaming yourself for-"

"Stop!" Tigress shouted, interrupting Shifu mid-sentence, something she would never normally dream of doing. "It _is _my fault he's dead! I _should've_ been stronger and fought for myself, I _should've_ known that lying disgrace of a panther would betray us, and I _should've_ taken his visions more seriously! This is entirely my fault that he's gone. He's dead… because of _me."_

She managed to silence Shifu, who knew that attempting to put up an argument with his daughter at this point would prove to be futile. So, he left her to cry; to let her emotions flow. But in all honesty, he didn't know what he was supposed to do. He had never played the role of father to Tigress. He had always been simply an instructor, and emotions seemed to elude and confuse him just as much as they did the feline.

* * *

_One Month, 5 Days Later, Jade Palace_

Tigress woke with a start as she jumped out of bed and let out a growl. She had just woken from another one of her nightmares that she had been experiencing for the past several weeks. Ever since she had returned home, these memories had plagued her mind. They were always about Po, and the last few minutes they had spent together. But then after the battle between Po and the bandits, Po would seemingly come back to life and chase her around, screaming "It's all your fault! It's all your fault I'm dead!"

She got up and went to the mirror. She was startled by what she saw, as it was someone who didn't resemble her at all. She had bags under her eyes from days of uneasy sleep, and she still felt the pain from the torture she had been given at Mangsau. Her fur was also matted in places and not neat and sleek. Not to mention, her pregnancy was becoming more and more visible. It was only a matter of time before she would have to explain herself.

Tigress knew that it would be so much easier to break the news if the father was there beside her, but sadly she would have to do this all by herself.

She was up early again this morning, all thanks to her nightmare. The sun was just protruding over the skyline now, and the birds were already chirping away in chorus. She got up and went outside to meditate.

The cool morning air soothed her each morning and allowed her to recover from the nights horrid visions.

_No worries, no cares, just peace and quie-_

_'BANG, BANG, BANG!' _came a volley of thuds on the front doors of the palace, interrupting the peeved felines thought and meditation. She sat still and watched the door, narrowing her eyes as if there were a thousand enemies on the other side.

_'BANG, BANG, BANG!' _The sound came again, prompting Tigress to apprehensively get up and open the door. She walked up to the amassment of boards and nails, and delicately opened it. On the other side however was not the thousand enemies she had been partially expecting.

Instead, there lay a blob of black, white, and red. Tigress stood there in shock, as she gazed upon the one panda she thought she had lost. He was panting, and there was crimson blotched all over him. He managed to cough out three words,

"Xia… she's coming." And then the Dragon Warrior slipped from consciousness, and passed out right in front of his wife.

* * *

Well, sorry it was a short chapter, but the next one will be longer! I hope you all enjoyed this installment of my story! Please review!

thanks,

-ww12


	7. The Warriors Tale

Well, you all probably thought I had stopped writing, but I haven't! I'm just pretty much the most laziest person in the world, but I've started writing again and I'm going to start reviewing again as well.

So I hope you like the latest installment (and sorry about the length of the chapter I got carried away) and please leave a review. Thank you for all your support!

-wolfgang

* * *

**Chapter 7: The Warriors Tale**

_"It is better to burn out than fade away."_

_-Kurt Cobain_

It took only a few tedious moments for her to get help from the palace staff, who swiftly rushed Po to the medical wing, but it felt like a lifetime to Master Tigress, who was now anxiously waiting by Po's side in his room.

He wasn't critically injured, but he did have a small concussion and several cuts bruises were painted up and down his body.

Po woke after only a few tense minutes and slowly opened his eyes, but he then seemed to drift off to slumber again. Tigress rushed to his side and looked at him, noticing his eyes flutter.

"Po? Po, wake up." She said gently, giving him a small nudge in the shoulder.

Po suddenly snapped his eyes wide open.

"Xia! She- she's coming to kill us, and she has an army, and Shu, and-"

But Po was immediately interrupted from his mindless blathering as he found himself suddenly in the warm, yet almost painfully crushing embrace of his wife, as she pounced on his belly. Tigress buried her face deep in his chest, purring gently. Po immediately relaxed, now temporarily content with being reunited with the girl that he had been forced to abandon weeks ago. She pulled back after a few minutes, only to lean in again and press her lips against his in a heated, passionate kiss.

Just at that moment, Shifu walked in.

"Is he alright? I hope that he's not- oh…" He trailed off, finding himself posed in the middle of an emotionally charged embrace between the two masters. Luckily neither of the two lovers noticed their master's entrance, and kept on displaying their affection for one another.

Shifu smiled to himself, and carefully stepped back out of the room.

_Yes, Po's doing just fine_. The red panda thought to himself.

_Finally, everything's back to normal._

Little did he know, a heavily equipped army was about 200 miles out from the Valley of Peace, and they were closing distance fast…

"Faster! We are supposed to arrive at the valley in 5 days!" Xia screamed at her troops, "And once there, you are to destroy everything in sight. Kill the people, loot the houses, burn the crops. Leave nothing untouched. But, you leave the Tiger to me. We have a score to settle…"

_Meanwhile back in Po's room…_

Tigress finally pulled back from the kiss, practically gasping for air, and she then slowly got off the panda, hoping that she hadn't hurt him too bad when she had jumped on top of him.

"Po, what happened?" Tigress asked quietly, "We thought you were…" But the fearless master Tigress was cut off by her own choking down of her tears, but yet she elicited no tears, as she didn't want to give the impression that she was weak.

"Well, it's kinda a long story. But, go get the five and I'll tell you all what happened."

Within 5 minutes, the rest of the five, Tigress, and Shifu were all packed into Po's room. After all of the five got over their overwhelming happiness for their 'leaders' return, they all settled down and became quiet. All eyes were on Po, not knowing what to expect from the tale Po was about to tell.

"Alright panda, tell us what happened" Shifu said.

"Ok, well I'm a little fuzzy on the details," Po said, "but I think it went something like this..."

_Po's Flashback (third person):_

_Po ran through the crowded streets of the village, his heart now pumping with adrenaline. He could hear the voices of Xia's men all around him. Their shouts and taunts echoed off the walls of shops, leaving Po utterly confused as to where they could be. He kept ducking in and out of alleyways and side streets, but the chorus of murmurs seemed to follow him._

_Suddenly, all grew quiet on the streets, masking the village in an eerie silence. Po came to a standstill and looked around, but saw no sign of any threat. He kept walking along the streets, with an ever growing suspicion that the enemy knew right where he was._

_Sure enough, the next thing he knew he was being flanked on all sides by dozens upon dozens of enemies. They were simply too much for him, slowly getting the best of him even with his advanced Kung Fu training. They just kept coming, clawing and slashing at Po with the clear intent to kill him. Po was tackled to the ground and was now being torn apart bit by bit._

_But right as he thought he was done for; someone whistled at the troops and yelled, _

_"We need him alive for Empress Xia! Take the panda to the jail and make sure he's locked up tight!"_

_Disappointedly, the soldiers slowly got themselves untangled from the fray surrounding Po, and put him in chains. They escorted him to the local jail, and since Po couldn't even walk, they had to painstakingly carry him there (which was not an easy task, seeing as Po wasn't the lightest)_

_So, he was thrown in a tiny cell, and shackled to the wall. There, he sat. _

_He waited for hours until the jail door slowly sighed open, revealing the jet black form of Shu silhouetted against the blinding light of the outside world. She walked up to his cell and sneered._

"Look at you panda, all chained up and helpless. How pathetic!" She bantered. "Well, you'll be happy to know that Xia is actually on her way here right now! She'll be here in a week. In the meantime, I'm in charge of 'babysitting' you, so I made sure that you're chained up nice and snug. There are guards everywhere. I know you can't take all of them on your own, so don't even think about breaking out. Alright?"

_Po didn't respond to the question, as he knew that he couldn't even slip the shackles anyway, but he didn't want her to know how helpless he really was._

_"You're a monster, you know that?" Po spat at her._

_"Good, I'm glad you think so!" Shu replied sarcastically. _

_"Come on, I know you're better than that Shu. You don't have to listen to Xia, she's not in control of you!"_

_"Panda, if you only knew the half of it…" The leopard said with a regretful expression. "But, I live to serve the Empress now, and there's nothing you can do to change that. Have fun, because these may well be the last few days of your life."_

_And on that note, she turned and left Po in that cell, and there he remained for a week, never to see Shu again. He was fed scarcely, (which led to a lot of weight loss on his part) and he only got to see the light of the sun whenever the guards had to open the doors to give him meals. _

_A week passed by in what seemed to be a years' time, and it finally came time for Xia to confront the Dragon Warrior once again. Po knew that it was time as well, and he knew that any second that door would open and Xia would be standing there, looking at him with that threatening gleam in her eye. Sure enough, as the sun was setting over the arctic tundra on that seventh day, the familiar creak of the door resonated through the small jail, shaking Po from his trace-like state._

_And there, looking as devious as ever, stood one of the most formidable opponents Po had ever known. She didn't say a single word as she walked up to his cell and took out a small key. She unlocked the door and stepped in. She then locked the door behind her, which was a remarkably impudent act on her part. _

_Xia now stood only a foot away from Po, eyeing him with a mixture of interest and disgust. _

_"You've caused me a lot of trouble Dragon Warrior, as I had to come all the way out here to meet you." She finally said, her voice was bone chilling as she spoke._

_"Why?" Po asked, "Why let me live? You could've easily had me killed by now, but you spared me."_

_"Because…" She said, her tone now relaxing and calm. "I had to give you this…"_

_And the next thing Po knew, Xia had her lips planted on his…_

Everyone's mouth dropped at precisely that moment, as chaos erupted in the room around Po. Everyone started talking at once, and Monkey started laughing as hard as he could. All of the side conversations were immediately stopped however by a _very_ angry feline, who roared,

"What? She- she _kissed_ you? How could you?!"

"Tigress please!" Shifu said, now interrupting her, "Control yourself!"

"I'm-I'm sorry master…" She said, getting the better of her rage.

"Tigress, I honestly couldn't help it. I was chained up. There wasn't much I could do!" Po pleaded.

Tigress sighed and collected herself once again.

"I know, I know it's just that if I ever get my hands on Xia, she's going to wish that she had never touched you."

Po gulped, knowing that the feline wasn't bluffing. He almost felt bad for Xia.

"Alright so can I continue now?" Po asked, looking around at the group, who were still whispering amongst themselves.

He received several nods as permission to continue, so he did.

_So, there Xia was, kissing the helpless Po. He struggled, but it was no use. After a torturous few seconds she finally relinquished. _

_"What was that?!" Po shouted, outraged. _

_"That… was amazing…" Xia said, lost in pure bliss. "I've been meaning to do that ever since we first met at the palace, and this time there were no annoying interferences to get between us. Well now that that's done, I guess you've served your one and only purpose to me. Guards, give the panda a proper execution tomorrow in front of the whole town!"_

_Xia turned back to face Po, now a cold and unfeeling demeanor. _

_"I'm sorry it has to end this way, but you just wouldn't obey me. You'll be dead by tomorrow and your precious kitten will be joining you shortly. I'm going to take you, and then I will take everything you ever cared about. And after the valley is ashes, I will finally be content."_

_Po's eyes widened in shock. _

_"No, not the valley. My wife, my ch-" But Po stopped himself before he could say 'child'. The last thing he wanted Xia to know was that Tigress had a baby on the way._

"Well look on the bright side, at least you'll be long dead before I make it to the valley, so you won't have to watch." She said, smiling. "And after I'm done with the Valley of Peace, you will be known as the Dragon Warrior that failed everyone. But who knows, maybe your wife will make an excellent servant to me!"

_"She'll kill you long before that happens!"_

_"Well, I guess we'll see about that. I still have a few tricks up my sleeves." _

_And Xia then left him in the cell, to die. _

_In his mind, Po was panicking. He pulled against the metal links that rooted him to the wall, but like all the other times he had tried, nothing. _

_"No, I have to protect the valley!" He shouted, as if yelling would somehow magically set him free._

_But then he came up with an idea. _

_It was insane. It would probably kill him, but he had to try something. _

_"Well, here goes nothing…" Po said as he grabbed one of his fingers between his thumb and index finger and flexed his pinky._

_In an instant, there was a blinding flash of light. And in that split second, everything went black._

"What? You preformed the Wuxi Finger Hold on _yourself?_" Shifu asked, awestruck.

"Yea." Po replied. "And it seemed to do the trick in busting me out."

"It's a miracle you're still alive panda." Shifu said now with a serious demeanor. "You know that the Wuxi Finger Hold is for emergencies only and you can't just go around blowing things up and-"

"Father." Tigress said calmly, interrupting Shifu's lecture. "Let's just let Po finish his story."

"Well, that's pretty much it actually." Po said, "The Wuxi Finger Hold worked and the cell was destroyed. I wasn't too injured, so I went to a shop, packed some supplies while everyone was still confused, and I escaped. I headed back for the valley, but Xia started following me. She'll be here in a few days and she's going to destroy everything." Po said hopelessly. "We have to evacuate everyone right now"

"Po's right. We need to get everyone out of harm's way and we need to get all of the artifacts out of the palace. Crane, Viper; Go and get everyone out of the valley. Monkey, Mantis; Organize a transport for the relics in the palace. And Tigress, watch over Po for a few hours until he begins to feel better." Shifu ordered his students, sending them off on their assigned tasks. "If any of you need me, I'll be locking up some important things myself." The red panda said briskly as he hurried off.

Now Po and Tigress were alone in the recovery room, not sure what exactly to say. They had been separated for months now, and every time they seemed to be united at last they were just torn apart again. Since the wedding, they hadn't been able to have a real conversation.

Po was the first to break the silence, but it wasn't exactly what Tigress wanted to hear.

"Ti, I want you to go with the evacuation party." He said with a heavy heart.

"What, are you crazy?" She said with wide eyes. "I'm staying here by your side. And I'm going to finish Xia off once and for all."

"No Tigress, you have to go. You're pregnan-"

"Shhhhhhhh! Somebody might hear you!" She hissed.

"What? You mean you haven't told anyone yet?"

"I couldn't Po. I couldn't announce our child to everyone if you weren't going to be there to do it with me."

"You know they're going to find out eventually!"

"I know, and I think that this might be the right time to talk to Shifu."

"What, now?"

"Yes, we can go and talk to Shifu right now!"

"Tigress, Shifu's going to want you to leave as well once he finds out. If you die…" Po tried to say, before choking up. "Never mind… but the point is, when Xia finds out you're pregnant, she's going to try even harder to kill you."

"Po, she won't find out! It's not _that _noticeable yet…" She said, looking down at her abdomen, frowning at the already present bulge. "But the point is I'm _not _leaving and that's FINAL." She said firmly.

"Ti, please don't make this hard." Po pleaded. "Everything will be fine."

"Don't lie to me, alright. Do you take me for an idiot? I know exactly what's going to happen if I'm not here to protect you!" Tigress yelled.

"Who says I need protecting? Look, I'm just trying to do what's best for our child!" Po said with a now-raised voice as well.

"Po!" Tigress roared back, "We have to fight together! The valley needs both of us side by side. If I don't stop Xia, she'll just keep coming back until she succeeds in killing us!"

"I know, it's just… I'm scared. For you, for the five, for our kid. I feel like this is going to tear us all apart." Po said softly, instantly calming Tigress down.

"I'm scared too Po..." The feline said as she buried her face in his plush fur once more. Po almost felt like Tigress was trembling a little, but he knew she was much too proud to show any sort of fear. "So, let's go talk to Shifu." She said, dropping the subject immediately.

"I can't. You heard Shifu, I'm still recovering."

"Oh come on Po, you'll be fine. She said as she got up, took Po's paw, and literally _flung _Po off the bed."

"Owwwww…"

"Po come on!" Tigress said, a hint of anxiety peppered in her voice. So, she took his hand and dragged him off.

Just outside, a thick cloud cover rolled in to the valley, and all of the birds stopped chirping. Everything grew ominously quiet in the valley. The world was talking a deep breath before the plunge…

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**Well, sorry that was so long everyone! I hope you liked it and please review! Thank you so much! Also, I'm going to be taking a 2 week vacation so I wont be writing for a little bit. I hope you liked this and I'll see you again in a few weeks! You can check my profile for information regarding when I'll be back and writing again, as well as other information. Thanks again!**

**-wolfgangwalker12**


	8. Homefront

**Hey everyone! I'm finally back with another chapter after a really, really, really long vacation! **

**I looked back at chapter 7, and I decided I didn't like it very much, but I feel a lot better about this one! So, I've already started working on chapter 9 and I'm almost done, so expect more updating very soon!**

**Thanks everyone for reading and being so patient with the slow progress of the story, I really appreciate it. So, enjoy chapter 8 and of course leave a review! I will now be giving a shout-out to every 25th reviewer so a big thank you to lunar silver, my 50th reviewer! Thank you very much! **

**And I'll be sure to give a big 'ol shout to reviewer #75 (if we ever get to a 75th reviewer) and you know how much it means to authors to hear your opinions! **

**Thanks again and I hope you like it!  
-wolfgangwalker12**

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**Chapter 8: Homefront**

_Random field, a few miles out from the Valley of Peace:_

The tall grass crackled with protest as it was pulverized under Xia's paw as she and her army continued to march. Not a word was said now as anticipation hung in the air like a putrid haze, for this was the anticipation of war; of death. All that could be heard now among the company of brawlers and petty thieves was the sound of heavy breathing.

Xia had to admit she was somewhat worried. How had the panda managed to escape from her iron grasp? Not only had he accomplished an impossible triumph, but he had managed to seriously injure or kill almost half of her army. She had clearly underestimated this seemingly naive panda's abilities, as he had mastered some sort of power that she had never before dealt with.

She now had to figure out how to squash this _godlike warrior, _whilst dealing with his comrades. What would bring a combatant as powerful as him to his knees?

"Ahhhh of course!" She cried out suddenly, earning her a few oracular, confused stares from her army.

_The only thing the panda values more than his life is that of another. Instead of killing the tiger, I'll use her to control him, and when the panda falls, so will the valley._

Xia then smiled to herself.

She had a plan, she had an army, she had the upper hand.

"Faster!" She commanded her troops. "We must reach the valley by nightfall!"

And so the army pressed, making the earth tremble and the very sky fall before them.

_Back at the Jade Palace:_

"Come on Po, hurry up!"

"Honestly Tigress, maybe this isn't the best time!"

"Well it could be now or never."

"Well, I'd sure rather die in battle than being killed by Shifu when he finds out you're pregnant!"

"Po, he knows we're free to make our own choices. He'll be happy to know that he's going to be a grandfather!"

"Sure…" Po mumbled, as he trotted along the halls and corridors that intertwined the palace, hoping still that his wife wouldn't force him into a potentially hostile argument with his master over their child.

Finally, they came to Shifu's chamber, a place that was rarely seen by anyone, as it was in a remote part of the palace and was forbidden to students.

"Well, here goes nothing…" Tigress said as she knocked softly against the amassment of oak and metal that comprised the chamber door.

A few moments later, a peeved looking Master Shifu answered the door.

"Shouldn't you two be preparing for the attack?" He asked sternly.

"Yes we know master, but this is important." Tigress said quietly. "Can we come in?"

After a moment's hesitation, Shifu finally motioned for both of them to come in.

"Now make it quick, I have to finish hiding away some of the palace's most sacred scrolls."

"Alright, well me and Po have an announcement to make."

"Um yea, it's- er… well I'll just let Tigress tell you." Po chimed in, shifting back and forth on his feet uneasily.

"Baba… I'm- _We're _going to have a… baby!" She said, wincing as she finished, for she knew her father could _overreact _sometimes. And of course she just _had to _be right.

Shifu just looked at Tigress, and then at Po, and then glared at both of them.

"You're having a CHILD!" He shouted, making the air stand still and making the hair on the back both Po and Tigress' necks stand up . "Why would you think of making such a rash, foolish decision?"

"Excuse me?" Tigress said, raising her voice to Shifu for the first time in her life. "How is this a foolish decision? Po and I both wanted this!"

"Because, you are Kung Fu warriors! You have sworn to protect the valley, and now by having a child, you will both have to step down from your positions! Two of the most important protectors in all of China will now have to put everyone at risk because they'll be too occupied with a child!"

"Well, maybe I don't want to do this forever!" Tigress lashed back. "Maybe I want to start a family of my own now!"

"Ya, we should be able to make our own choices!" Po said, now backing up his wife. "The rest of the five will be able to defend China just fine!"

"No they won't. The five couldn't beat Tai Lung or Shen. We need a Dragon Warrior!"

"Find another one then!"

"It's not that simple panda…"

"Well it seemed pretty simple when I was picked! And I just happened to fall out of the sky!"

"ENOUGH!" Shifu shouted, suspending the argument. "Po, get ready for the battle. Father or not you're _still _the Dragon Warrior. Tigress, you will leave the palace now! Just because you made a bad choice doesn't mean that an unborn child should have to die too. Now go! I have nothing left to say to either of you…"

So Tigress and Po both left hastily, and Tigress slammed the door behind her as hard as she could.

"I told you he would freak out…" Po said

"Po," Tigress said, spinning around to face him now, "Do _you_ think we made a bad decision? We just put ourselves, the valley, and China in a lot more danger now. Maybe we should've waited…"

"Tigress…" Po said as he pulled her into a warm hug, "I think that this has been the best decision we've ever made. If Shifu can't see that, well then that's his problem."

"You're right. We're finally going to be parents." Tigress said, beaming with pride at the fact that she was actually going to be a mom.

"Yes we are, and we're going to be the best parents in China! I know you'll make a great mom…"

"And you will be a great father as well."

Now a long, tense silence ensued as neither of the two knew what to say. It lasted for a few minutes, with the two lovers holding each other as tight as they could.

"Tigress, you heard Shifu you have to go-"

"No!" Tigress interrupted "I'm staying."

"No you're not! You heard Shifu, if you stay and fight not only are you putting yourself at risk but you are also risking the safety of the baby. Is that what you want?" Po said fiercely, slightly raising his voice at the end.

He immediately calmed down once he saw the fear in her eyes. She was afraid to lose her home, her family, and her mate.

"I'll go…" She said despondently. "I'll go hide in your dad's noodle shop until the fighting is over, but if I feel like you might be in the _slightest _bit of trouble, I'm going to fight for you. I'll go pack my things." She said as she started to turn around but was stopped by a black and white paw on her shoulder.

She turned around only to be caught in the intense stare of her panda. It was a stare of remorse, passion, and sadness. After all, who knew what was to become of them?

He gently leaned in and kissed her softly at first, but the embrace slowly grew in intensity until it became a charged yet still passionate kiss.

"Be safe Ti." he said as he pulled back. She gave him one last look, and ran.

He could've sworn her eyes were watering, as were his.

Just after she had left, Crane and Viper came in.

"Po, we've evacuated the valley. Everyone's safe." Crane said.

"Hold on, where's Tigress?" Viper said, looking around the vacant corridor confused. "I thought you two stuck together pretty much all the time."

"She- she's going to hide out at the noodle shop until the battle is over." Po said shakily, as the thought of Tigress all alone with their child. It made him sick to his stomach.

"Why is she hiding? She should be fighting with the rest of us!" Crane said, appalled that the ferocious striped master would 'chicken out' during one of the most important battles of their lives.

"She's pregnant. She can't fight and protect our child at the same time." Po said flatly.

"Tigress is… pregnant?! Congratulations!" Viper cried

"Thanks." Po murmured. Now was not the time to be happy about the seemingly joyous announcement. Now was a time to be afraid and to worry about what could happen to them. "But anyway we need to rally the rest of the five and prepare for the fight."

"Right, let's go!" Viper said.

A few minutes later, they met up with Monkey and Mantis, who had just moved all of the important Jade Palace artifacts to a secure location.

They then went back to Shifu's quarters, although Po was reluctant to face his master again after the uncomfortable encounter they had just had.

"Master Shifu, we're ready to fight!" Monkey exclaimed as he knocked on Shifu's door.

A few moments later, the old Red Panda came outside. He looked off from his normal self, and Po could clearly see that he had been stressing. The panda lifted his gaze to stare at his black and white pupil. A look of disappointment and anger burned in his eyes, but there was also anguish and heartache behind the glare.

Po could feel that Shifu was still upset with him and Tigress, but he could tell that the master didn't mean everything he had said to them.

"Ahh well, let's meet them at the entrance to the village. I don't want them to get to the buildings. Remember, this time you are not fighting for others. You are fighting for your home, and your family. Now let's go and show the enemy what a real Kung Fu warrior is made of!" Shifu said.

Even as they headed off to the village, Shifu's voice rang in Po's ears.

_You're fighting for your family, your home._

He would do everything he could to protect them both, even if it cost his own life.

_Back with Xia's Army:_

"Empress Xia, we have arrived at the valley." A gruff looking rhino said, pointing to a shimmering green light at the top of a large mountain.

"Ahh the Jade Palace, such a pretty building. It's too bad that in a few hours it will be ashes!" Xia shrieked, followed by one of her signature cackles. "Now where is Shu?"

"I am here my Empress." Shu said as she presented herself from the mob of warriors around her.

"Good, now when we arrive we will lead a small group around the main battlefield and into the village. Once there, you will loot the houses, and then burn them. I will be waiting up at the palace. Once you capture Tigress, bring her to me. Got it?"

"But- but Empress Xia, you said that we were just here for the tiger and the panda, you never told me we were to burn the houses as well."

"Yes, but to finally exact my vengeance, everything they care about must also die!"

"I… understand Empress." Shu said as she lowered her head.

_She didn't sign up for this._

_Back with the five:_

Just as they reached the outskirts of town, crane shouted,

"Xia's army is here! There's so many of them…"

"Stand your ground!" Shifu commanded them. "Prepare yourselves!"

So they stood there, watching the extensive aggregation form into lines as they assembled into what appeared to be a very poised, disciplined fighting force.

Not the slightest din was made as both parties sat and waited for the other to make an execution of some sort. A short while later, ten people separated from the ranks of the opposing assemblage and headed down toward the five and Shifu.

No one knew what to expect as they made the decent into the valley. They finally arrived, and Po could clearly see that Xia and Shu both were accompanying this envoy. The group stopped, now only 20 feet away from them.

Shu then spoke.

"Attention feeble five, panda, and Shifu. Empress Xia has an offer for you. We will spare your village a slow, fiery destruction if you hand over the panda and the tiger in chains."

"What kind of deal is that?" Po shouted in anger.

"It's a fair deal." Shu replied smartly.

All this time, Xia just stood there smugly, with her arms crossed and what Po decidedly took to be a pouty expression on her face.

"Honestly, why would we ever accept this unjust proposal?" Shifu asked.

"Because…" Xia now said, with a merciless ferocity to her voice that made all of them hold their breath. "Some of you might want to survive this day."

"No." Shifu said calmly. "I'm sorry but I think we'll be content with fighting. I would never give up two of my most honored students, no matter how much trouble they've caused." And on that last part, Shifu shot another glare at Po, who shrunk back in fear.

"Fine, at least you will all die honorably." Xia said as she dismissed herself and began to head back to her army, with Shu and the rest of the unit in tow.

Shu gave one final look back at Po. It was a look that clearly stated, _I'm sorry._

As soon as they made it back to the army, there was a lot of shouting and gesturing from Xia, which they all assumed to be a pep talk and then she pointed down towards them.

Xia roared.

Po took a deep breath.

The army charged.

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**Well, that's it! I hope you all liked this chapter and remember to review!**

**Also, check out my (updated) profile for news on stuff I'm doing story-wise, and other fun stuff like that!**

**Thanks again and I'll be sure to post the epic fighting chapter in a few days. Thanks everyone and I appreciate all the support!**

**-wolfgangwalker12**


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